KeshetUK works with teachers and young people to ensure that Jewish schools are safe places where all young people can flourish and enjoy learning in an environment that enhances their wellbeing and supports their identity development. Our activities with teachers and students create cultures where LGBT+ Jewish people feel valued and respected through delivering inclusion training for teachers and support staff; and school specific activities for students.​

Covid-19 Update

We have moved our work online. Please do get in touch to discuss which of our activities would be best for you. We can create general and bespoke resources, training and talks for Jewish schools, youth or young adult organisations, synagogues, or communal organisations. Please either email info@keshetuk.org or fill out our contact form.  

We have created two sessions that are ready made for schools and also a guide on “Supporting Jewish LGBT+ young people online during Covid-19”. Please contact us for more information. 

Supporting Jewish LGBT+ young people online during Covid-19

This guide is directed more towards youth movements but will also be helpful to some school staff and parents. To find our guide on “Supporting Jewish LGBT+ young people online during Covid-19" please click here”

What we offer schools

  • LGBT+ Inclusion Training (Primary and Secondary) appropriate for:
  1. Senior leaders and governors
  2. Jewish Studies (Kodesh) teachers
  3. Pastoral teachers
  4. General teaching staff and wider school staff ( e.g receptionists, dinning hall staff, security etc).
  • Co-production of curriculum (Secondary)
  • Spiral curriculum (specific workshops and assemblies for each year group Yr7-13) delivered by KeshetUK (secondary)
  • ​Assemblies and workshops
  • KeshetUK drop-in
  • Meeting with individuals such as rabbis, teachers, staff - in confidence where necessary - to increase their understanding of what including Jewish LGBT+ people and their families could look like. 

Please note: All of our work is bespoke for the individual school with which we are working. We understand that different schools will have different ethos' and we work with each school to ensure our content is in line with theirs. 

Recent schools' news

KeshetUK now reaches over 3,000 secondary school students annually and has trained over 100 teachers in primary and secondary schools. Our key achievements from the 2018-2019 school year include:
  • Co-creation of a ground-breaking document ‘The Wellbeing of LGBT+ Pupils – A Guide for A Guide for Orthodox Jewish Schools’, in partnership with Chief Rabbi Mirvis.
  • Designing a new, multi-year LGBT+ inclusion curriculum, which piloted activities for Succot (such as how lulav and etrog represent diversity) and Purim (such as the theme of ‘coming out’ in the Megillah)
  • Young adult Jewish LGBT+ role models attending JCoSS to tell their personal stories to 780 students to mark Pride in London. Speakers included a member of the Rainbow Rabbis group – an informal group of LGBT+ rabbis and cantors

Testimonies

"Overall we are consistently impressed with the professionalism and level of impact of programming by KeshetUK’s professional and voluntary staff.  Activities for JCoSS staff and students have been pitched appropriately, and have had exactly the right balance of engaging and challenging material.  Keshet facilitators have made significant impact on certain individual students as well as on the school community as a whole.  The support offered by KeshetUK is invaluable in helping us make the school as inclusive as possible."

​Sara Lavan, Director of Jewish life, JCoSS ​(2018)
"It [the schools' guide] is written with great sensitivity and wisdom. It considers both the students who need our support while remaining true to Halacha.

​The Chief Rabbi leads the way for all educators in how we must work actively to prevent homophobic, transphobic and biphobic bullying and provide appropriate pastoral support. The guide provides insight on how to listen, use language appropriately and care for our students so they feel supported. It helps and guides schools to ‘think ahead’ and be proactive rather than reactive on this subject. JFS is not only proud to support this initiative but will use the resource to ensure a sense of real inclusivity at school with KeshetUK."

Rachel Fink, Headteacher, JFS (2018) - Quote from the Jewish News
“KeshetUK was an integral part of our LGBT week. The team helped facilitate mature discussions amongst our students which they valued tremendously. KeshetUK did a great job in explaining to students that you can be gay and still have a Jewish identity."

Sam Waters, Former Deputy Head of Pastoral Care, Kantor King Solomon High School (2016)
Copyright KeshetUK - Registered Charity No. (England) 1163398.  ​With kind thanks to our team, volunteers, and your donations, we can create a world where no one is forced to choose between their LGBT+ and Jewish identity. 

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